Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin, citrus, cream, egg white and orange flower water shaken long and topped with soda. A tall, silky, floral New Orleans fizz.
- MethodShaken
- GlassCollins glass
- IceNone (served up)
- Strengthabout 9.2% ABV
- BaseGin
- Tastecreamy, sour, refreshing
Recipe
| 60 ml 2 oz | London dry gin or Old Tom gin |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lemon juice |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lime juice |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Simple syrup (1:1) |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Cream (single/light or half-and-half) |
| 1 egg white | Egg white (or 25 ml aquafaba) |
| 3 drops | Orange-flower water |
| Top up: 30 ml 1 oz | Soda water |
Garnish. No garnish; the tall white head that rises above the rim is the point.
Method
- Put everything except the soda in a shaker, with 3 drops of orange flower water, and shake hard without ice for 15 seconds.
- Add ice and shake again, as long and hard as you can manage, at least 30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled collins glass without ice and let it settle for a minute.
- Pour the soda slowly into the centre so the foam rises above the rim.
About the Ramos Gin Fizz
The Ramos Gin Fizz is a gin fizz made rich with cream and egg white, scented with orange flower water and shaken far longer than most drinks. It tastes like a light lemon and lime mousse with a floral edge, and its foam stands up above the glass. It is hard work to make, which is part of its legend.
History
Documented
Henry C. Ramos served the drink at his saloons in New Orleans from the late 1880s, first at the Imperial Cabinet and from 1907 at the Stag. It was famous for the teams of young men behind the bar who did nothing but shake fizzes, especially at Carnival. Ramos stopped serving it when Prohibition arrived in 1919 and is said to have made the recipe public then. In 1935 the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans acquired the rights to the name.
Legend and lore
Stories of each drink being shaken for twelve minutes belong to the drink's folklore rather than any record; a couple of minutes of hard shaking is what bartenders actually manage. The 1888 date for its creation is traditional.
Disputed or unclear: The opening year of Ramos's first bar and the exact year he created the drink differ between accounts (1887 to about 1890).
Variations
- Gin Fizz. The plain parent: gin, lemon, sugar and soda, without cream or egg.
- Silver Fizz. A gin fizz with egg white only, no cream or orange flower water.
- Clover Club. Another gin, citrus and egg white drink, coloured and sweetened with raspberry.
Bartender's notes
- Orange flower water is strong; three drops is enough and more makes the drink taste of soap.
- Chill the glass and the soda well, and leave the drink to stand for a minute before topping; the foam rises better on a settled base.
